News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Iran's first Bushehr nuclear power plant will be operational within three months, and provide electricity to Iran's national power grid by the summer, according to Iranian Energy Minister Parviz Fattah.

"Russia says its fuel can only be used at and for the plant," CNN reported Sunday. Atomstroiexport, Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly, completed the first stage of nuclear fuel deliveries a week ago, the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency said.

Fattah told reporters Saturday that the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which was previously expected to be completed last September, will become operational on March 21, 2008. The plant will deliver 500 megawatts of electricity by summer and 1,000 megawatts by March 2009, according to Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).